Skype for Linux set to be released as open source
Skype is very well known software for those seeking to make video and audio calls to those they know, and is even handier considering it's available on Mac, PC and Linux. Now, however, the Linux community is about to get one step better: Skype will soon become open source.
The news, initially reported by Olivier Faurax (link in French) and then Linux Crunch, came in the form of an email to Skype. It stated, "We understand that many users complain that there is no Mandriva version at present. We are happy to be able to inform you that Skype will from now on be part of the open source community. Therefore Linux developers will be enabled to influence the development of the Skype client for Linux - which will most certainly result in specific versions for the different distributions." Linux Crunch then contacted Skype and received the following reply: "We appreciate our user community's enthusiasm and realize this is something they have been wanting for a while. We realize the potential of the open source community and believe that making Skype for Linux an open source application will help to speed up its development and enhance its compatibility with different versions of Linux. While it is our goal to make Skype for Linux source code available to the community in the nearest future, we are not at a point to disclose an exact release date yet."
As you'll see from this Skype announcement, the UI will be open source, whereas other parts of the software will remain closed. So, Linux users, expect to see a somewhat open source (and thus generally improved) version of Skype released in the not-too-distant future; this'll also mean, as mentioned, that the software will become available on a wider spectrum of Linux variations.... Read on »
Linux creator Linus Torvalds gives Windows 7 a thumbs up
Linus Torvalds, the father of the Linux Kernel gave Windows 7 the thumbs up in Japan yesterday.
Torvalds was in town for the Japan Linux Symposium exhibition and Microsoft reportedly setup a big promotion booth across the street from the conference center. During a conference break an attendee dragged Torvalds across the street to "make fun of Microsoft".
The result? A somewhat sarcastic thumbs up from Linus Torvalds, it's a picture that will certainly go down in history though. Thanks to Steven Bink (bink.nu) for spotting this:
Image Credit: Chris Schlaeger ... Read on »
Ubuntu 9.10 due on October 29
A new version of one of the most popular Linux distributions, Ubuntu, is due in less than a month's time. The final stable version of Ubuntu 9.10 will be released on 29 October, according to their website. However, a beta for version 9.10 is available for those interested.
The new version features several changes, one of which is the use of the faster ext4 file system by default for new installations (although existing file systems will not be upgraded). In addition, the latest version of GNOME, version 2.28, is included with the beta. The "look and feel" of booting the system has also been improved.
GRUB 2 is now the default bootloader, however it does lack support for a few things such as password support. You can find the main improvements in Ubuntu 9.10 here. Naturally there are some issues with the beta, which you can find at the bottom of that page.
Whilst new versions are not usually special, the switch to the ext4 file system is a major step forward for Ubuntu's aim to have a ten second boot time for 2010's release, as the file system offers improved performance compared to its predecessor.
For those who want a look before the final release on 29 October, the beta can be downloaded through the usual ways from here, however the beta is recommended for testing purposes only, and, of course, always make a full backup if you do use it.... Read on »
FSF make their case against Windows 7 with new website
The Free Software Foundation has sent 499 letters to the top Fortune 500 companies (with Microsoft being the exception), trying to persuade the decision makers in the companies not to use Microsoft software, according to an article by Techspot. The FSF has made a list of claims against Microsoft, aiming to get big corporations to look at alternative software in order to reduce their dependency on Microsoft.
The letter they sent is titled "Re: Important notice regarding impending lack of privacy, freedom and security from Microsoft Corporation," and can be found on the website they set up, Windows7sins.org. The FSF accuse Microsoft of the following: poisoning education, invading privacy, monopoly behavior, lock-in (in regards to removing support for older versions), abusing standards, enforcing DRM and threatening user security.
The site encourages users and organisations to look away from Microsoft for their software, and instead look at free software alternatives such as Linux and OpenOffice. Why Apple was not mentioned (seeing as they create proprietary software too) remains a mystery, but it appears that the FSF are targeting Windows 7 specifically while it launches.
The group intends to send even more letters as they receive more donations, with a $25 donation paying for 50 more letters, and a $100 donation paying for 200 letters to organisations and companies suggested by the community. How successful they will be remains to be seen, but you can have a look at the site yourself over here, where you can find the letter and the list of companies that have received the memo.... Read on »
The Linux Foundation launches their own branded Visa card
The Linux Foundation seems to be quite adamant of getting their image out there, as of late; not too long ago, they sent out their own advertisement to show off their offerings to the public, and now they're taking publicity one step further. As TechCrunch are reporting, they've now teamed up with CardPartner and UMB Bank to debut their own Visa card, sporting their mascot 'Tux' on the front.
The card isn't just handy for showing your dedication to the open source cause, but it's also great for helping them out, too. For each card activated, The Linux Foundation will receive $50, and they will also pick up a percentage of each purchase made by users. Apparently, 100% of the proceeds will "go directly towards providing community technical events and travel grants for open source community members in order to accelerate Linux innovation." The current executive director of The Linux Foundation, Jim Zemlin, says that there's a whole bunch of ways people can contribute to the organization (be it by code, or other means) but now they can do it "by carrying Tux in their pocket."
So, hoping to pick one of these up, but you don't live in the United States? Tough luck, unfortunately. The card is only available in the aforementioned region, though others are hoping to be added in the current months. However, if you do meet the criteria, head to this link to get business sorted out.
... Read on »
Microsoft releases 20,000 lines of code to Linux community
Hell has not frozen over and pigs aren't flying in the sky, Microsoft has just released 20,000 lines of device driver code to the Linux community.
Company officials admitted the move was "a break from the ordinary" but were quick to note this is the first time Microsoft has released code directly to the Linux community. The code will be available to the Linux community and customers and is expected to enhance the performance of the Linux operating system when virtualized on Windows Server 2008 Hyper-V or Windows Server 2008 R2 Hyper-V.
Sam Ramji, senior director of Platform Strategy in Microsoft's Server and Tools organization said in a statement, "Our initial goal in developing the code was to enable Linux to run as a virtual machine on top of Hyper-V, Microsoft's hypervisor and implementation of virtualization.
The Linux device drivers we are releasing are designed so Linux can run in enlightened mode, giving it the same optimized synthetic devices as a Windows virtual machine running on top of Hyper-V."
Due to the economy and consolidation, big enterprises are looking to standardize their virtualization platform, and according to Microsoft "the Linux device drivers will help customers who are running Linux to consolidate their Linux and Windows servers on a single virtualization platform".... Read on »
Canonical licences 'satanists' selling Ubuntu-esque t-shirts
There are, of course, many Linux distros based on Ubuntu out there (Shift Linux was, for a time, one of them). Among the religious derivatives, we have seen the Ubuntu Christian Edition,
the Ubuntu Muslim Edition,
and the Ubuntu Satanic Edition.
Normally the Ubuntu spirit of mutual respect keeps most people happy, but, according to their website, the developers of the Ubuntu Satanic Edition had run into trouble with Canonical, the company that oversees the Ubuntu distro, over what might be called an "image" issue, but what could have proved to be a "freedom of religion" publicity nightmare for Canonical.
Why? The Ubuntu Satanic Edition ("Linux for the Damned") is known for its dark Gnome themes ("Inhuman" and "Recant"), demonic wallpapers (featuring flames, pentagrams, bats, devils, skulls, etc), and special screensaver. The distro's developers had been running a CafePress store featuring merchandise that incorporates their distinctive re-imagining of the Ubuntu logo, and Canonical, citing trademark violations, had earlier last week asked them to close down their shop.
Distraught, the Ubuntu Satanic Edition team reported, "You may know that we used to have a cafepress store which sold t-shirts and stickers. It was completely commission free and we made no money from it - which made the stuff as cheap as possible. Well, it seems that Canonical is enforcing their intellectual property rights over the Ubuntu name. The store is now closed and you will no longer be able to buy any Ubuntu Satanic merchandise. This saddens us. We are big fans of Ubuntu and have a lot of respect for Canonical. However, they need to understand that a phenomenon such as Ubuntu is only as strong as its community and alienating that community over the sale of a couple of lousy t-shirts is not the way to go."
On Thursday, Ubuntu Community Manager Jono Bacon responded, vowing to investigate and writing, "Hi - I am the Ubuntu Community Manager. Could you email the letter that you received on this to jono AT ubuntu DOT com and I will check into it. Thanks!"
On Friday, Bacon returned with a favourable resolution to the situation, stating, "I checked into it and I have managed to clear this up. Some kind of mistake occured and the Ubuntu Satanic Edition folks should not have got that letter. I spoke with our trademarks folks and they will be sending them an explicit trademark license as their merch is clearly under parady [sic], which we are indeed cool about in the trademark license. Rock on!"
So, this appears not to be the end of the road for Ubuntu Satanic Edition merchandise, and Ubuntu's reputation for tolerance and community seems to have been given a new lease of life.
Update: On Monday (22 June), the Ubuntu Satanic Edition developers breathed a public sigh of relief, writing, "Thanks to everyone in the community who got behind us and also Ubuntu and Canonical for 'not being evil'. That’s our job, after all. The store will be back on line once we receive the official license agreement."
Update: On Tuesday (23 June), Canonical's Jane Silber confirmed that, as far as the company is concerned, the issue has indeed been settled, writing, "That project [the Ubuntu Satanic Edition] is developed and supported by the open-source community rather than Canonical. We support the open-source community and the freedoms that Ubuntu enables. There was in fact a communication issue about the merchandise being sold, which has now been resolved."... Read on »
Linux is first OS to support USB 3.0
Sarah Sharp, a self-styled "geekess" and Linux developer at Intel's Open Source Technology Center who has recently been working on the Linux USB subsystem, announced on her blog that support of USB 3.0 will soon be integrated into the Linux kernel. This makes Linux the first operating system to support the standard. If you can't wait and have the expertise necessary, she includes instructions on how to get USB 3.0 support in Linux now.
According to Ankika Kehrer, "[t]he basic specifications for USB 3.0 show it to have a transfer rate of 5.0 Gbps. The standard was announced in November 2008 by the USB Implementers Forum, Inc. [The] Board of directors of the Forum are represented by companies such as NEC, HP, Microsoft and Intel (which has the current chairmanship)."
Sharp writes, "I'm working with Keve Gabbert (the OSV person in my group at Intel) to make sure that Linux distributions like Ubuntu and Red Hat pick up the xHCI driver. Advanced users can always compile their own kernel on a standard distro install." Given that her driver is already queued to appear in Kernel 2.6.31, Linux aficionados who aren't keen to compile their own kernel should be able to enjoy the new feature from September of this year in kernel and distro updates from their favourite sources.
Intel is one of the foremost corporate contributors to Linux and open source, and this is just one more example of the work the company and its employees like Sarah Sharp are doing to promote the development of free hardware drivers and of free software more generally.
Sharp concludes, "This is a giant project that I've been working on for the past year and a half. It's gratifying to see the code finally released, and exciting to know that hardware is on its way."
[Edit: The link to Ankika Kehrer's story above has been corrected to note its original source (Linux Pro Magazine).]... Read on »
Ubuntu targets 10 second boot time for 2010 release
In an email to developers of the Linux distribution Ubuntu, Canonical's Scott James Remnant explained how they hope to achieve a 10 second boot time with Ubuntu 10.04, the version to be released in 2010, after 9.10 is released this fall.
The projected speed improvements come with changes to the kernel, such as making the X.org server, which controls the display elements in Linux, load up quicker. The boot process will divided into sections with time budgets: two seconds for Kernal and initramfs, Plumbing (drive loader), and X.org server; and four seconds for the desktop session and other services.
"This benchmark time is to a fully logged in desktop (auto-login) with an idle CPU and Disk. Deferring services is not an option unless done properly," Remnant wrote.
The reference platform that Canonical plans to use for this target is a Dell Mini 9 netbook, equipped with the typical Atom processor and an SSD hard drive. Remnant feels this is a good benchmark because it represents what he calls a "middle of the road" system and that some will be faster and slower, but the low price of the machine allows other developers around the world to purchase one to perform their own testing while helping to contribute to the goal.
"10s is a good number, especially for a generic, hardware agnostic, non-stripped down Linux distribution," Remnant wrote, "from that starting point, development teams will be able to customise and tailor Ubuntu for specific hardware - and the OEM team will be able to produce custom remixes of Ubuntu that boot even faster."
Remnant also said that a side-effect of the fast boot speed is that there will be no splash screen. He also said that the team is working to reduce the boot time in 9.10 (codenamed Karmic) but users should not expect the near instant boot they hope to hit with the next release.
Ubuntu already is known for having a quick boot time, as one user proved by back in April. He was able to install Ubuntu 9.04 RC on a system equipped with a speedy Intel SSD drive inside an IBM ThinkPad. When formatted in the ext4 file system, he was able to boot the system in 7.83 seconds. These additional speed improvement that Canonical is targeting for the upcoming Ubunutu release is a feature that Linux enthusiasts should be proud of.
Download: Fast Boot Presentation
Neowin member Executor89 contributed to this report.... Read on »
Fedora 11 now available
Fedora 11, the next release of the popular Linux distribution, is now available from the Fedora website. You can find full details of the major improvements and changes in this latest release in our previous post about the launch of Fedora 11, but to mention just a few, the release claims to have major speed improvements, boasting a 20 second startup, as well as overall speed improvements as ext4 is now used as the default file-system.
Another interesting feature is the ability to perform a minimal install, which amounts to about 500MB (at mount-point '/'), which should make this release more appealing to users running servers, or machines with older hardware. However, this does of course come at the cost of features.
In addition, the latest versions of GNOME and KDE are included with the respective versions. The release was delayed several times due to last minute issues, however it is now officially available. You can see the screenshot tour here, showing the installation process and the desktops for both GNOME and KDE.
The release is now available through BitTorrent and direct download, however, at the time of writing, not all mirrors had Fedora 11 to download, so you may be better off using torrents if you cannot find a mirror. Custom Fedora 11 spins are also available, including the Fedora Games Spin and Fedora Xfce spin.
For those wishing to upgrade, you must be using version 10 in order to upgrade to Fedora 11 through Yum. Users running Fedora 9 must upgrade to version 10 first, because of this. In case you aren't familiar with Fedora, it is a free, open-source Linux operating system, and the whole project is sponsored by Red Hat, a company providing enterprise Linux solutions.
Download: Download page... Read on »
100,000 websites destroyed by hackers
As many as 100,000 websites have been destroyed by hackers targeting server virtualisation software HyperVM, which powers most virtual private server (VPS) hosting companies.
Most of the VPS systems hosted by Vaserv, and its sister companies CheapVPS and FSCKVPS were taken offline, with data on some of its servers destroyed without backups, when the hackers exploited a zero-day vulnerability in the LxLabs HyperVM software to gain root access to its servers. The hackers were then able to run commands (such as "rm -rf", Linux parlance for "remove everything, all files and folders, no questions asked,") to destroy both user and system data, preventing the servers from booting, and preventing users from recovering data.
Vaserv has estimated that almost half of the data hosted on their servers has been destroyed by the attack.
The identity of the hackers is unknown, and no hacking groups have claimed the attack. Vaserv stated that "This wasn't someone randomly scanning things. It was a deliberate attack on our infrastructure." It has also stated that, although the hackers had full root access to its systems, all sensitive data such as names, addresses, and credit card details were encrypted.
It is unknown whether any other hosting companies running HyperVM have been attacked. Anybody who uses a server hosted by Vaserv or its sister companies can check the progress of the rescue operation here.... Read on »
Fedora 11 due for release next Tuesday
Fedora 11, the next version of the popular Linux distribution, is due to be released on Tuesday next week, according to the Fedora Project website. The new version features better performance, increased security, and several improvements. Some of the more interesting features and improvements include a quicker startup time (no more than 20 seconds from power up to login screen, at least when first installed), ext4 being used as the file-system by default (on Anaconda installs), as well as coming with the latest versions of GNOME or KDE.
The move to ext4 as the default file-system should mean users notice better performance overall, and the optimised startup should also result in better system performance.
A new feature will provide users with the option to perform an installation taking up less than 500MB of space (at mount point). Obviously this means that some of the extra features will be cut out, however it should also provide better security and performance, potentially appealing to those considering Fedora for use on a server, or those who want to run it on older hardware.
Several other features have also been improved, including volume control and power management. There are several administration tools that have been updates, as well as development tools, which can be found on the feature list, linked to below.
Security has been increased, with support for stronger hashes, such as SHA-2, which will enable operating systems built based on Fedora certifiable for government use. In addition, many security holes will be fixed with the newer versions of the software that come with Fedora 11. The new update will be available from 10:00am (Eastern US time) on 2 June.
Link: Fedora 11 Features... Read on »
Red Hat sues Swiss government over no-bid Microsoft contract
According to a blog post by Red Hat, Microsoft was given a three year contract, with no public bidding, which Red Hat and 17 other technology groups are appealing. The contract was worth 14 million Swiss Franc (approximately equivalent to £8m or $12m) per year, and was awarded by the Swiss Federal Bureau for Building and Logistics, for "standardized workstations" and the applications and support that go with it.
The government agency claimed the decision was made because there was "no sufficient alternative to the Microsoft products", however Red Hat stated that several other Swiss government agencies are using alternatives, provided by Red Hat.
Red Hat produce open-source software, namely Linux operating systems, which are targeted towards the commercial market. The money is made by selling subscriptions, which provide support for their products, amongst other services.
Red Hat is leading a group of 18 technology companies who are "seeking a public bidding process that allows for consideration of the technical and commercial advantages of open source software products". The companies have filed a brief with Swiss Federal Administration Court, and aim to have the contract with Microsoft overturned.
Open-Xchange, one of the other companies offering alternatives, said "We have alternatives to what Microsoft is offering, so at least we should have a chance at the bidding process," according to an article by PC World. "The IT landscape changes so rapidly, it makes sense to have the freedom to change components without lock-in."... Read on »
Dell not installing the latest Ubuntu on new netbooks
Dell's Mini 10v netbook that was launched last week has some nice new upgrades, including "wireless improvements" according to Betanews, but one thing that users shouldn't expect is the latest version of Ubuntu, 9.04, or even version 8.10. The netbook is currently being sold running Ubuntu 8.04 standard, but in an email that Dell sent to Betanews, they believed that installing the newest version is not in the best interest of the mainstream users.
Dell has stated two main reasons for sticking with the older version. A Dell spokesperson said, "We are trying to stay on a 12-month cadence to keep costs down, and build a stable platform. A mainstream user does not care if it's 8.04 or 8.10 or 9.04 (he/she does not know what those are) -- she just wants it to work right and be stable/safe... most of the Linux enthusiasts would not like to be so far behind, but they are not our primary target audience for the [operating system] image," in the same aforementioned email. To add to this, Dell is still very satisfied with Ubuntu for its netbook platform, and said, "We have offered Ubuntu pre-installed on our consumer systems for two years now, based on customer feedback on Ideastorm. Canonical has been enthusiastic about working with us to deliver a rock-solid Linux experience for the general non-technical community, and we look forward to continuing this dedicated team effort going forward."
Dell ensures that they do their best to keep stability as high as possible in their devices, stating, "In addition to 8.04, we chose to control our updates (via our own update repository -- similar to MS update). We go the extra mile in double qualifying all updates (that one would see in stock 8.10 and 9.04) and only publish those that are rock-stable. We will [put in] select features over the course of the year that make sense for the product, like wireless improvements."
This is all well and good, but what do you think, Neowin? Would you like to see Dell offer the latest version of Ubuntu, or stay a step behind if it means greater stability for the end user?... Read on »
Intel's Moblin 2.0 beta released
Intel has released the beta version of its Moblin OS 2.0 for Netbooks and Nettops to the public. A lot of work has gone into making a more functional and visually pleasing user interface, which is reminiscent of HP's Ubuntu based MIE OS originally used on the Mini 1000.
Moblin v1.0's user interface
Moblin's new user interface
Here is the feature summary as listed in the official announcement:
- New, visually rich user experience, optimized for Netbook and Nettops, building on the latest open source graphics technology, such as Clutter, DRI2, and KMS. The user experience is provided mainly through the toolbar and panels, available at the top of the screen.
- The m_zone, acting as the 'home screen' panel. It provides instant access to your synchronized calendar, tasks, appointments, recently used files, and real-time updates from your friends on social networking sites.
- Aggregation of your social networking content. This provides you with the ability to see your social networking activities on one screen, easily interact with your friends, and update your status and site information. Twitter and Last.fm are the currently supported social networking sites, with more to come.
- A web browser optimized for the Moblin 2.0 Netbook user interface. Based on the latest Mozilla browser technology revised into a Clutter shell, the browser gives you access to the whole internet, as well as advanced features, such as video embedding and the latest Flash plug-in, while integrating seamlessly into the user interface.
- A 'Zoomable' media player. This player brings your media collection to life as you zoom from viewing all media down to focusing on an individual picture, movie, or audio track. The media player can detect and index media on external USB devices, as well as UPnP devices on your network.
- A user interface for connection management and an updated connection manager (ConnMan).
- And, of course, support for Linux desktop applications. Moblin is built using GNOME Mobile Technologies and supports existing Linux desktop applications.
Platforms which have successfully booted the Moblin v2.0 beta are:
- Acer Aspire One (ZG5)
- Asus EeePC 901, 1000, 1000H
- Dell Inspiron 910
- MSI Wind
- Lenovo S10
- Samsung NC10
- HP mini 1010 and 1120NR (wired networking only)
Some users claim that the OS boots on normal notebooks and PCs running on Intel processors and Intel graphics chipsets. However, the system suffers from sluggish performance.
You can also check out Ars Technica's Hand's On of the Moblin v2.0 if you need more information on the OS.
As with any beta product, exercise caution when installing and using the Moblin v2.0 OS.... Read on »
Ubuntu 9.04 RC released, final coming Thursday
While Microsoft preps their upcoming RC of Windows 7, and Apple continues work on Snow Leopard, the Ubuntu Linux team has already published the release candidate of their upcoming 9.04 version, dubbed "Jaunty Jackalope," and is set to publish the final version of the code on Thursday, April 23.
Some of the major features of this release include:
- GNOME 2.26
- UPnP support for Totem
- MAPI support for the Evolution e-mail client
- Improved multi-monitor support
- X.org server 1.6, with Mesa 3D DRI, version 7.4
- Wacom tablet hotplugging
- New style for notifications and notification preferences
- Quicker boot performance (30% faster)
- Linux kernel 2.6.28
- Ext4 filesystem support (ext3 will remain the default)
The 9.04 release will be an important one for Canonical and the Ubuntu team, as it should be the release that is out and in use when Windows 7, Mac OS X 10.6 "Snow Leopard" and Fedora 11 are released. That is, unless Windows 7 slips into an RTM at a date past October of this year, in which case Canonical will get a second chance when they release 9.10, which is already dubbed "Karmic Koala."
Download: Ubuntu 9.04 RC To highlight the decreased boot time of Ubuntu 9.04, one user installed the beta onto their ThinkPad, equipped with a Intel X25-E solid state hard drive. The result was a boot time of only 17 seconds, from GRUB loader to starting Mozilla Firefox.
... Read on »